I am having trouble getting anything to work in Earmaster! How do I sing a note? What is a 'do'? How do I enter the answer to a question ... eg. I would like to match a pitch with my voice - how do I get Earmaster to ask for a note and then how do I recognize that it is waiting for a note, and then how do I enter the note through my microphone, and how do I know when I get it right? Most of the instructions in help use terminology I don't understand and I cannot find any background explanations (in beginner form) for what the program is asking me to do or exactly how to go about it?
There is a tutorial item on the webpage but nothing is in it! A video explanation for each exercise would be helpful ... especially if it started with a good explanation of what it is asking for and then a demonstration of how to go about doing the exercise.
I really would appreciate some help which is in one place. The forum items jump all over the spectrum from beginner to advanced.
Thank you.
Getting Started - Absolute Beginner
Moderator: Quentin
Re: Getting Started - Absolute Beginner
Hi Barrie
I agree with you.
There's not much for absolute beginners to chew on in order to find their way around.
It's proving to be a real problem to me as I can't get my laptop to sync (because it's got a laptop capable processor and shared audio memory like most laptops) which makes any sort of progress pretty impossible.
And looking through the forum there are a lot of unanswered/not responded to questions like yours, so not much help there either.
One of the things I've noticed about help here on the forum is that responders are very loose with their wording and often use descriptors/terms or feature names that aren't actually to be seen anywhere within the software. This just leads to more confusion although some leeway has to be given as Quentin is Danish which means most authoritative answers are written by someone whose first language isn't English.
I would guess that the note matching "secret" is that you have to match the rhythm as well. This means singing the starting note in time with the metronome clicks. It doesn't wait for you to start singing whenever you are ready and then match the tones you make by number (first "noise" with required note 1, second noise with required note 2 etc) ; it wants them to match the meter. Once you get the knack it works quite well although it's very precise. (If you understand about cents and least noticeable difference; for me it would be helpful to know what EarMaster's LND is.)
I don't know where you are from but EarMaster's 3 note feature isn't very helpful with preparing for the UK's ABRSM grade exams. Their exams ask you to match 5 notes but in free time; ie you can go as slowly as you like and if you get a note wrong, the examiner replays the correct note to re-start you. ABRSM grade exams are taken all over the world and it would be nice to have an "ABRSM" option on the note matching feature.
But good luck with EarMaster, I think it's an excellent product (and I've tried a few) if a little unfriendly at first.
Brian
I agree with you.
There's not much for absolute beginners to chew on in order to find their way around.
It's proving to be a real problem to me as I can't get my laptop to sync (because it's got a laptop capable processor and shared audio memory like most laptops) which makes any sort of progress pretty impossible.
And looking through the forum there are a lot of unanswered/not responded to questions like yours, so not much help there either.
One of the things I've noticed about help here on the forum is that responders are very loose with their wording and often use descriptors/terms or feature names that aren't actually to be seen anywhere within the software. This just leads to more confusion although some leeway has to be given as Quentin is Danish which means most authoritative answers are written by someone whose first language isn't English.
I would guess that the note matching "secret" is that you have to match the rhythm as well. This means singing the starting note in time with the metronome clicks. It doesn't wait for you to start singing whenever you are ready and then match the tones you make by number (first "noise" with required note 1, second noise with required note 2 etc) ; it wants them to match the meter. Once you get the knack it works quite well although it's very precise. (If you understand about cents and least noticeable difference; for me it would be helpful to know what EarMaster's LND is.)
I don't know where you are from but EarMaster's 3 note feature isn't very helpful with preparing for the UK's ABRSM grade exams. Their exams ask you to match 5 notes but in free time; ie you can go as slowly as you like and if you get a note wrong, the examiner replays the correct note to re-start you. ABRSM grade exams are taken all over the world and it would be nice to have an "ABRSM" option on the note matching feature.
But good luck with EarMaster, I think it's an excellent product (and I've tried a few) if a little unfriendly at first.
Brian
Re: Getting Started - Absolute Beginner
Hi Barrie and Brian,
We always strive to answer all posts in the forum (just like we do with emails), so if some remain unanswered, we need to check up on that.
As for the terminology used in some of the posts, please notice that the forum includes many discussions about previous versions of EarMaster. For example, many older posts refer to latency problems with mic input. Those are not relevant anymore as EarMaster 6 now compensates latency problems automatically. Therefore, the "Synchronize Rhythms" option which is often mentioned.in the forum can't be found any longer in EarMaster.
We are planning to release a full series of tutorials showing how each exercise is used (which is why the support section of the website has a dedicated - yet empty - tutorial area). However, please notice that EarMaster includes a very comprehensive Help file (Help menu of the application). In the "Using the Activities" chapter, you will find detailed descriptions on how to use each activity, including a few words on when to start singing/clapping in the activities that involve the use of a microphone.
The first chapters of the Help file describe in a more general fashion the main concepts of EarMaster, how it works, how it is intended to be used, etc.
EarMaster has evolved continuously over the years thanks to user feedback. One of our main goal is to make it compatible with the many, many pedagogical approaches in various countries. The program counts myriads of options because it needs to cater for different musical traditions, level requirements, official syllabi, etc. Most of the ABRSM study program is supported by EarMaster, with the exception of musical analysis (for now), but of course there are some practical aspects that aren't completely identical to real-life situations, especially in regard to examination procedures. We are however working are getting even closer to the original(s) than it is currently the case.
By the way, EarMaster is indeed a Danish company, but our staff comes from various parts of the world. I am a French native-speaker for example
We always strive to answer all posts in the forum (just like we do with emails), so if some remain unanswered, we need to check up on that.
As for the terminology used in some of the posts, please notice that the forum includes many discussions about previous versions of EarMaster. For example, many older posts refer to latency problems with mic input. Those are not relevant anymore as EarMaster 6 now compensates latency problems automatically. Therefore, the "Synchronize Rhythms" option which is often mentioned.in the forum can't be found any longer in EarMaster.
We are planning to release a full series of tutorials showing how each exercise is used (which is why the support section of the website has a dedicated - yet empty - tutorial area). However, please notice that EarMaster includes a very comprehensive Help file (Help menu of the application). In the "Using the Activities" chapter, you will find detailed descriptions on how to use each activity, including a few words on when to start singing/clapping in the activities that involve the use of a microphone.
The first chapters of the Help file describe in a more general fashion the main concepts of EarMaster, how it works, how it is intended to be used, etc.
EarMaster has evolved continuously over the years thanks to user feedback. One of our main goal is to make it compatible with the many, many pedagogical approaches in various countries. The program counts myriads of options because it needs to cater for different musical traditions, level requirements, official syllabi, etc. Most of the ABRSM study program is supported by EarMaster, with the exception of musical analysis (for now), but of course there are some practical aspects that aren't completely identical to real-life situations, especially in regard to examination procedures. We are however working are getting even closer to the original(s) than it is currently the case.
By the way, EarMaster is indeed a Danish company, but our staff comes from various parts of the world. I am a French native-speaker for example
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